When a built-in cooktop is disposed within an opening in a counter top, it is necessary to insure that the cooktop sits flat on an upper support surface of the counter top and is not movable relative thereto. After the opening is formed in the counter top and the cooktop is inserted into the opening, the installer must then secure the cooktop to the counter top to prevent movement of the cooktop relative to the counter top.
One previous arrangement for securing a cooktop to a counter top has been to form slots in the lower portion of the cooktop's outer wall during manufacture. After the cooktop is disposed within the opening in the counter top, an L-shaped clip is positioned within each of the slots. Each of the clips has one leg inside of the cooktop's outer wall and extending upwardly from the inner end of its other leg, which extends horizontally and has a threaded hole extending therethrough. A screw is driven through the threaded hole in the horizontal leg of the clip until it engages a bottom surface of the counter top.
Installation is awkward because the installer must hold the L-shaped clip with one hand through grasping the horizontal leg while driving the screw with the other. In cramped conditions, this can be impossible.
Another prior arrangement for securing a cooktop to a counter top in which the cooktop is disposed within an opening in the counter top has been to emboss the bottom wall of the cooktop so that the embossed portion of the bottom wall of the cooktop is at an angle to the remainder of the bottom wall of the cooktop and to the outer side wall of the cooktop. A nut is welded to the interior of the embossed portion of the bottom wall so that the nut is at an angle to the bottom and side walls of the cooktop. Then, an opening has been formed in the outer side wall of the cooktop so that a screw extends through the nut, which is welded to the embossed portion of the bottom wall, and the opening in the outer side wall of the cooktop at an angle to the outer side wall of the cooktop to engage a surface of the counter top. This is a complicated arrangement and increases tooling costs. The screw also is at an angle to the surface of the counter top that it engages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,171 to Fritzsche discloses a work surface clamping means for drop-in cooking equipment. The aforesaid Fritzsche patent has the disadvantage of increasing the manufacturing costs of the drop-in cooking equipment through requiring an outwardly projecting flange to be welded to the bottom wall of the drop-in cooking equipment along all sides of the drop-in cooking equipment. The outwardly projecting flanges, which are welded to the bottom wall of the drop-in cooking equipment, extend beyond the outer wall of the drop-in cooking equipment so as to require a larger opening in the work surface; this enlarged opening allows much more play between the outer wall of the drop-in cooking equipment and the work surface so that the possibility exists for motion of the drop-in cooking equipment relative to the work surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,474 to Cairns et al has an arrangement for securing a plumbing fixture to a support having an opening through which the plumbing fixture extends. The plumbing fixture of the aforesaid Cairns et al patent has a plurality of clamping devices mounted on the bottom surface of its upper rim. Each of the clamping devices includes a pair of parallel vertical members connected at their upper ends by a top member, which is secured to the upper rim of the plumbing fixture. The two parallel vertical members also are connected by a horizontal bottom member at the bottom of the shorter of the two parallel vertical members. A clamp plate is pivotally mounted on the connecting bottom member for pivotal movement through 90.degree. with the parallel vertical member, which extends beneath the horizontal bottom member, having a slot therein to stop pivoting of the clamp plate at 90.degree.. The clamp plate support a screw for engaging a bottom surface of the support having the opening in which the plumbing fixture is disposed.
While the clamping arrangement of the aforesaid Cairns et al patent has the clamping devices inside of the periphery of the upper rim when inserting the plumbing fixture within the opening in the support, the upper rim is substantially larger than the fixture to provide room for the clamping devices so as to require an opening substantially larger than the plumbing fixture's outer wall. Because of the pivotal arrangement of the clamp plate, there is no further requirement for enlarging the opening beyond that required for the clamping devices. However, this arrangement for the clamping devices requires a substantially larger opening in the support. Additionally, because of the relatively large opening, there can be play of the plumbing fixture whereby there can be pivoting of the plumbing fixture from its desired position because of the pivotal arrangement of the clamp plate on the horizontal bottom member of the clamping device.
The present invention overcomes the problem of the opening in the support for the cooktop having to be substantially larger than the outer walls of the cooktop. The present invention also eliminates the problem of the cooktop pivoting with respect to its clamping means, as can occur in the aforesaid Cairns et al patent, through utilizing slidably mounted means to support engaging means for engaging a bottom surface of the counter top.
The present invention satisfactorily solves the foregoing problems through providing slidably mounted retaining means on opposite sides of the bottom surface of the cooktop. Each of the two retaining means is retained within the periphery of the bottom surface of the cooktop during insertion of the cooktop into the opening in the counter top. Each of the retaining means is slidably movable from its retracted position a selected distance, up to a maximum, beyond the periphery of the cooktop. Each of the retaining means has threaded support means to receive a threaded member for engagement with the bottom surface of the counter top.
There is no relative pivotal motion between the retaining means and the cooktop or the threaded member. Thus, if the opening in the counter top is too large, there is no play of the cooktop relative to the counter top. There also is no need to have the opening enlarged for any clamping structure extending beyond the periphery of the portion of the cooktop inserted within the opening in the counter top.
It is necessary for the clamping device to be adjacent each of the edges of the cooking equipment in the aforesaid Fritzsche patent and the plumbing fixture in the aforesaid Cairns et al patent. This arrangement prevents positioning two units adjacent each other in the same opening. By mounting the retaining means adjacent the front and rear edges of the bottom wall of the cooktop, the present invention can have more than one of the cooktops placed adjacent each other in a single opening in the counter top. Thus, there is no need for spacing between the cooktops, and this arrangement permits a plurality of the cooktops to be disposed adjacent each other when desired.